​The literature reviewed focuses on a variety of aspects related to the gender dimension of DDR processes, such as women as actors and victims, implications of the perceptions of masculinity, transitional justice, the political economy of DDR processes, gendered identity, and finally, the contextual aspects of DDR processes. The topics are all related to one another. The literature on transitional justice and gender mainly focuses on aspects related to women as victims. The literature on masculinity reveals that, most often, the dominant perceptions of masculinity tend to produce female victims. The focus on the political economy of DDR processes, on the other hand, highlights the more active participation of women in conflicts and the failure to recognize this – taking into account that women are often not sufficiently included in DDR processes.

Whereas some of the literature is essentially topic focused, the commented bibliography also contains a series of country-focused analyses. These include Aceh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, East-Timor, El Salvador, Eritrea, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nepal, Rwanda, Somalia, Sierra Leone and South Africa.​